At the moment, it can be tempting for business owners to believe the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us. While Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific rim neighbours are experiencing low infection rates, COVID-19 is still with us – disrupting our lives with rapid shutdowns that everyone hopes will be short.
But the effects of the pandemic are two-fold – physical and mental – and the mental toll of 2020 is just beginning to emerge.
Experts are saying Australians will continue to be very hard hit psychologically by the pandemic as well as the devastating bushfires and drought that preceded it. In fact some are referring to a “pandemic fourth wave” on the basis of the mental health issues that are beginning to impact business owners and their employees.
Why a “pandemic fourth wave”?
According to a survey conducted by Gartner, a global research and advisory consultancy, Australian employees are feeling:
- Exhausted
- Stressed
- Significant levels of overload due to “always on” work patterns
Our usual escapes from the pressures of work are going on holidays or leaving the workplace at the end of the day. But travel restrictions and the uncertainty caused by sudden state border closures are making it hard to “escape”. While working from home and hybrid working models are blurring the lines between work and play.
As a result, researchers are predicting an increase in psychological trauma, mental illness and burnout. These are things that can directly impact the productivity and profitability of your business. You also need to be conscious that the same issues affecting your employees could also affect your management team, yourself and your fellow business owners.
3 Ways to help your employees and management team
- Be alert for any signs that people in your organisation are having difficulties. These may include:
- Arriving late or leaving early on a regular basis
- Absenteeism
- Grumpiness, impatience with others or aggression
- Other behaviours that you think may be out of character for that individual
- If you implemented a wellbeing program last year, don’t stop it now! Gartner’s research shows only ¼ of all businesses who implemented a mental wellbeing program last year will continue it for another year. The majority of employers are cancelling their program for cost cutting reasons. This is a false economy.
Instead, encourage employees to take advantage of your wellbeing program and if you don’t have one, perhaps now is the time to introduce it. Remember, participation in any wellness program relies on promotion of the program and encouraging its use.
- Tap into the thoughts and feelings of your staff through the use of anonymous surveys or group discussions facilitated by external specialists. This is an important step because remote working has:
- Seriously undermined many cohesive teams
- Impacted company culture
- Lead staff to feel overworked and under appreciated
When you know what you are dealing with, you can then introduce appropriate measures or programs that can restore morale and get your staff back on track.
At End2end Business Solutions, we offer an extensive range of human resource services that are pragmatic and will easily integrate into your daily business routine.
If you’re poise for growth or searching for outsourced expertise to manage your HR, get in touch by calling 02 8977 4002.